Knitting machine



GOTTLER KNITTING'MACHINE Filed on. 1 1, 1937 4 Sheets- Sheet 2 ATTORNEY? I Aug. 15, 1939. v

M. GOTTLER KNITTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 11, 1937 m 4 WW INVENTOR.

Aug. 15, 1939. M. GCn-TLER 2,169,835

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 11, 19:57 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

4 $41 55 QW w 55555444? Patented Aug. 15, 1939 UNITED: STATES 2,169,836 r m'r'rme MACHINE Martin Giittler, West Reading, Pa., assignor to Berkshire Knitting Mills, Wyomissing, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application October 11, 1937, Serial No. 168,390.

10 Claims. (01. 66-96) My invention relates to flat knitting machines and more especially to an improvement in the lock-stitch or lace making mechanism thereof.

In the use of the now common point carrying 5 lock-stitch bar in flat knitting machines, difflculty has arisen in that operatives do not always position the bar so that the points are in proper alignment relative to the needles prior to the dipping of the lock-stitch bar to pick loops i off the needles; whereas further difliculty has .arisen because of failure of the operator to lock the bars into correct operative position relative to the supporting structure. Consequently, when the lock stitch bar is dipped, either a smash occurs due to the points in the bars striking the sinkers and dividers or wedging between the needles and the sinkers and dividers, or else the bar may dip without effecting transfer of the loops to other needles-j Somewhat similar accidents can occur if the points in other point carrying bars are not accurately aligned at the times they are dipped to lift loops from the needles.

One object of this invention is to provide means in knitting machines whereby smashes due to points in a point carrying bar are eliminated.

Another object is to provide means whereby the points in a point carrying bar may be deflected to attract the attention of the operative in case the bar is dipped when it. is not in correct posiao tion with respect to the needle bank.

Still another object is to provide an attachment which may be applied to knitting machines 45 a With these and other objects in View, which .will become apparent from the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiment of.

the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, my'invention resides in the novel-elements,

n features of construction-and arrangement of parts in cooperative relationship as hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims.

A full fashioned knitting machine in which my invention has been incorporated comprises, in i addition to the necessary mechanism for making full fashioned stockings, a group of points or groups of points for lifting loops from the needles and a means arranged to throw said points so that they do not touch any other parts of the machine when they are dipped unless said group or 5 groups have been first properly positioned with a .respect to the needles.

scale of a detail portion of the machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4' is a view similar to Fig. 3 but in which the positions of certain parts have been changed;

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view taken substantially on theline 5 5 of Fig. 3;

Fig-6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing certain parts in difierent positions;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of a detail of the machine shownin Fig.1 taken substantially on the line of Fig. 1;

-Fig. 8 is a sectional view of a detail of the machine shown in Fig. 1, taken substantially o the line 8-8 of Fig. 1;

Fig.9 is a sectional view taken substantially. on the line 9- 9 of Fig. 3;

Fig/10 is a sectional view taken substantially l on the line l0l0 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 11 is a detail view in perspective of certain parts appearing in elevation in Figs. 8 to- 10 inclusive. g I In the drawings and description, only those parts necessary to a complete understanding of h the invention have been set forth; further information as to the construction and operation of 40 other elements not herein specifically pointed out, but which are usual and well known, being available in the pamphlet entitled Full Fashioned KnittingMachines, copyright 1920,- and in the Reading Full Fashioned Knitting Machine Cat- I V alogues, copy ight 1929 and 1935, published by the Textile Machine =Works, Reading, 'Penna.,

and in a pamphlet entitled Knitting Machine Lectures, published in l935'by the Wyomissing Polytechnic Institute, Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. i

v The full fashioned knitting machine illustrated comprises a frame iii of any-usual or preferred form on which are a variety of parts mounted to move as required by the knitting operation and including a rotatable main cam shaft I4 arranged to be shifted longitudially by a chain motion mechanism I5 from knitting position to narrowing position and back again. When in knitting position, as viewed in Fig. 1, cam shaft I 4, by suitable cams and connections not shown, operates the needle banks I'6 to form the loops of the knitted fabric. When the cam shaft I4 is shifted to its right hand or narrowing position it operates, among other things, the lock-stitch bars I7, I! or the narrowing combs (not shown), depending on which have been laid in by the operative.

Each of the lock-stitch bars II has a series of points therein, each point having a groove adapted to receive the beard of a needle and to press the beard into the needle groove when the point is passed down over the needle, the point at the same time entering between the needle and a loop thereon to lift the loop from the needle. The point can then be lifted and shifted and brought down over another needle to place the loop on it. The lock-stitch bars II are fixed by arms I8 on a lock-stitch shaft I9 journalled in brackets 22 fixed to the front narrowing shaft 23. The bars H can therefore occupy either one of two positions, In their one position, bars I! are swung up against rest bar 24 and a spring latch 29 is provided on shaft 23 arranged to engage a notch 2|, Fig. 7, in a collar 20a, on shaft I9 to hold bars I! in the rest position. In their other position, bars II are turned down immediately above the needle banks I6 for the purpose of lifting and transferring knitted loops and, when the bars II are in proper position lengthwise of the needle banks, latch 20 engages an elonated notch 2 la in said collar to ensure and emphasize the angular position of shaft I9. When down in the position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the points in bars II are caused to lift the loops oh" the needles on which the points act by dipping the front narrowing shaft 23. In the knitting position, the narrowing machine, of which shaft 23 forms a part, is supported from round idler cams 25 on cam shaft I4 by links 26, the upper ends of which are journalled on shaft 23 at 21 (Fig. 1) and the lower ends of which are pivoted to levers 28 (Fig. 2) at points 29. The levers 28 are pivoted to fixed parts of frame I2 at 30. Intermediate pivots 29 and 30, levers 28 have journalled thereto. rollers 3| which rest on the idler earns 25 so long as the shaft I4 is in its knitting positionand the shaft 23 and bars I! are thereby held stationary. When, however, shaft I4 has been shifted to the right from the position shown in Fig. 1 the rollers 3| are brought above narrowing cams 32 which lie alongside idler cams 25.

Cams 32 are so shaped that the points in lockstitch bars II are dipped below and then lifted above the level of the tops of the knitting needles as rollers 3| follow the contour of cams 32. During said dipping action, the points pick off the loops on alternate needles. While thepoints are on needles having other loops thereon. The front narrowing shaft. 23 and the parts supportedtherefrom are guided in the dipping motions by curved arms 33 inthe front ends of which shaft 23 is flxed and the rear ends of which are fixed to the rear narrowing shaft 34 2) journalled to the-frame. 7

The longitudinal v longitudinal-shift-of. lock-stitch shaft I9. 'The longitudinal movement' of lock-stitch i sha'ft I9 may be accomplished by one of several means.

' front of shaft shift'of bars I1 involves a' The arrangement shown for this purpose is a lace mechanism 35 (Fig. 1) of known type and generally like that disclosed in the patent to Richter No. 2,059,806, November 3, 1936. Mechanism 35 is adapted for operation numerous times during the knitting of a stocking and has a standard 36 mounted to move in. the direction lengthwise of shaft I9. The lock-stitch shaft I9 has an adjustable stop 31 at one end arranged to bear against the right vertical face of standard 36. The front narrowing shaft 23 has a vertical lever 40 pivoted thereon the upper end of which is connected to the left end of a spring 4|, and the right end of which is connected to an upright arm 42 also fixed to shaft 23. The lower end of lever 40 projects below its pivot point into contact with a collar 43 on shaft I9 so arranged that the spring 4| and lever 40 urge the shaft I9 toward the left as viewed in Fig. 1 to press stop 31 against standard 36. When the stop 31 is upward to press against a roller 45 on standard 36 to force shaft I9 to the right a one-needle distance.

However, means are required, or at least commonly provided, to guide the shaft I9 while being dipped and moved longitudinally. For this purpose, each of certain of the arms 48 which depend from shaft 23 for supporting the narrowing rods 46 (Fig; 5) carries a plate 41 projecting below the arms while shaft I9 has a depending arm 50 for each plate 47. Each arm 50 has an upturned lower end 5| forming with the opposing lower face of arm 50 a slot 49 (Fig. 6) adapted to receive the lower end of plate 41 to guide the arm50 and thereby the shaft I9 and bars I1 during the dipping and transferring movements of shaft I9. The lower ends of plates 41 are notched at 52 as is showni'n'dotted lines in Figs. 3 and 4, so that the upturned ends 5| may swing down through the notches to a plane at the rear of plates 41. When the operative lays in" the lock-stitch bars he first turns them down from their upper rest position against the rest bar 24 t0 the positionof Fig. 3. The stop 31 beingagainst the standard 36, the ends 5| will strike the lower ends of plates 41 and the operative must then draw lock-stitch shaft I9 to the right in order that ends 5| shall enter notches 52. For this purpose, a swivelled collar 53 with a handle'5'l is provided on shaft 'I9 arranged to setquite close to a bracket 22 in which shaft I9 is journalled and a screw 55 projectsalong the I9 towardcolla'r 53 from the right faceof' bracket 22 so thata plane cam'face 56 on collar 53 which slants upward from left to right when handle 51 hangs down as in Figs. 3. and 4-coritacts the end of screw 55 and, when handle 51 is thrown forwardly and upwardly from' the positionof Figs. 3 and 4, wedges between screw 55' and collar 54'to right. opposite-notches 52 so that the en'ds5I may drop be aligned with to the left again with stop 31 against standard 7 i I force shaft I9 tolthe -The upturned ends 5| are thereby brought j through the notches'and the slots '49 may thereby the lower endsjof plates (41. Thereupon, the spring 4|, aided by acoil spring a 5B surrounding shaft -I9, throws'the" shaft I9,

,36 and with plates um slots 49 as shown in Figs. 3 and *5. In this position, the bars l' l'lie against the front faces of the narrowing rods 46, 46 as-shown in Fig. 7 and the points in bars H are in transverse alignment with the needles as shown in Fig. 3 and the dipping and trans ferring operations can becarried out rapidly and without accident.

If, however, the operative, through haste or carelessness, allows the upturned ends 5| of arms 50 to hang in the position shown in Fig. 6 in \which ends 5! rest against the vertical edges of notches 52, then shaft l9 cannot move far enough,to the left and the bars I1 are misplaced so that their points remain either in themisaligned position shown in Fig. 4 or, if aligned with the needles, they do not transfer the loops. If now the bars H are dipped, either a smash occurs due to the transfer points striking the loop forming elements known as sinkers Stand dividers Si or wedging between the sinkers and dividers and the needles, or the'points the lock-stitch bars from the position shown in.

Fig. 4, in which bars H are out of position, into position to attract the attention of the operative and to keep the points above the tops of the sinkers and dividers if dipped from an initial position like that of Fig. 4.' In the arrangement shown, theseresults are accomplished automatically by providing an arm 65 fixed to the lock-stitch shaft [9 and having a rearwardly and upwardly curved rear face (Fig. 8) and a plate cam 66 having a downwardly and forwardly curved front face and adapted when parts 65 andBB arein the same plane to cooperate with the rear face of arm 65 to turn shaft l9 counter-clockwise as viewed in Figs. 5, 6 and '7, to throw the points in bar I! forwardly and upwardly when the shaft I9 is dipped, so that the ends of the lace points pass forwardly of the needle banks as shown in Fig. 10 and cannot strike the sinkers and dividers. As shown in Figs. 8 to 11, the cam 66 is of thin plate form secured by bolts 66a 'andpositioning pins 66b, in a vertical plane transverse to shaft l9, to a flangedcross-bar 61 fastened at its rear end by a bolt 68 used also to secure a bracket for the yarn carrier rods to the center bed 69 of the machine. The front end of crossbar 61.is bolted to the inner upper edge of the front bed-Ill of the machine by bolt II. The arm and plate cam 66 are so arranged that, when the bars I! are properly positioned with respect to the knitting needle banks, the arm 65 and cam 66 are misaligned as shown in Fig. 3 so that they do not interfere with the action of dipping bars 11, as

' is clear-in Figs. 8 and 9, where Fig. 9 shows the parts in the same position as Fig. 3. When the.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a knitting machine including two rodlike elements having cooperatingmovement with respect to each other which brings them into longitudinal contacting engagement, the combination with said elements of means for deflecting one of said elements relative to the other only when they arenot in position for said cooperative movement.

2. In a knitting machine including two elements having complementary portions and having cooperating movement with respect to each other which brings them into longitudinal contacting engagement, the combination with said elements of means arranged to deflect one of said elements relative to the other only when they are not in position for said cooperating movement.

3. In a knitting machine including two rodlike elements each provided with interfitting engaging portions and-having cooperating movement with respect to each other which brings them into longitudinal interfitting engagement,

the combination with said elements of means for deflecting one of said elements relative to the other only when they are not in said cooperating movement.

4. In a knitting machine including two groups position for of loop-manipulating implements having cooper- I ating movement with respect to each other which brings them into longitudinal contacting engagement, the'combination with said elements of means arranged to-swing one of said groups as a whole relative to the other only 'when they are not in position for said cooperation.-

5. In a knitting machine having a first group of knitting implements, and a second group of knitting implements for cooperating movement means for throwing said group forward to pass above the needles of said bank when the group is misplaced with respect to the needle bank at the start of a movement caused by said moving means.

'7. In a lmitting machine having a needle bank, loop-forming elements, and abar containing points adapted to act on loops on the needles of said bank when the points are in a given position with respect to said needles, the combination of .means for dipping said bar, and means for throwing said points away from said elements when the bar is misplaced with respect to the needles at the start of a dipping action.

8. In a knitting machine, in combination, a needle bank, loop-forming elements lying between the needles of the bank, a point carrying bar whose points are adapted to lift loops form said needles, a pivoted shaft on which said bar is fixed, means for advancing said bar toward said needles for lifting loops therefrom, and two members having curved cooperating surfaces one fixed with relation to said needle bank and the other fixed to said shaft and arranged to throw said bar forward on a path to prevent the points therein from striking said loop-forming elements after said advancing means is operated when the said bar is misplaced with respect to said bank.

9. In a knitting machine, in combination, a needle bank, loop-forming elements, a lock-stitch shaft, a bar on said shaft having points thereon for cooperating with the needles of said bank to transfer stitches thereon, means for dipping said shaft, a cam arm fixed on said shaft and a cam plate in fixed relation to the plane of motion of said needle bank and adapted and arranged to cooperate with said arm to throw the point bar forwardly to move said points away from said elements whenever said bar is dipped when misplaced with respect to the needle bank.

10. In a knitting machine in combination, a point in a point bar pivotally mounted on a shaft and axially movable therealong, a needle bar having needles therein with which said point is intended to cooperate, means whereby said point bar may be locked against rotation on said shaft by said axial movement, means for moving said shaft vertically to cause the point to act on a loop on a needle, and means to deflect said bar to prevent contact of said point with a needle during said vertical movement unless the point bar is in a desired position axially of said shaft at the time it makes a downward vertical motion MARTIN GOT'ILER. 

